Irish Vegetarian Recipes (St. Patricks Day)

A collection of Irish vegetarian recipes for your St. Patrick's Day table, or any time of year.

This collection includes bread, sides and main dishes for St. Patrick's day, some of which can be made ahead of time.

Four dishes from a vegetarian St. Patrick's Day roundup of recipes with text overlay.

Traditional Irish food for St. Patrick's Day may feature a leg of lamb with rosemary, or meat and fish pies. Shepherd's pie (meat with a potato crust) and Guinness and Beef Pie are both very popular. But what if what you really want are Irish vegetarian recipes for your table this year?

I've got you covered.

I've pulled together some ideas ranging from bread to sides and main dishes. All are vegetarian, some are vegan.

B R E A D S

Potato Rolls with Chives

These Potato Rolls with Chives are super soft from adding a mashed up boiled potato, with a slightly crusty crust. And they're loaded with chives. These are yeasted rolls, and very easy to make. There's very little actual work on your part - but allow time for the dough to rise.

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Soda Bread with Raisins and Orange Zest

Soda Breads don't use yeast - they only use baking soda for the leavener, with buttermilk to help activate it. My version - Soda bread with Raisins and Orange Zest is in keeping with traditional versions, but I added raisin soaked in whisky and some orange zest. And salt. Many of the earliest versions of soda bread are famous for omitting salt.

A loaf of soda bread broken into pieces. Soda bread has raisin and orange zest in it.

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S I D E S

Best Ever Braised Cabbage

My French Braised Cabbage will make cabbage lovers out of haters. The recipe is written for Savoy Cabbage, but you can use any kind of cabbage. It includes onions, white wine, a little cream and a dash of mustard. And of course it has caraway seeds, although they are completely optional.

A small plate of braised Napa cabbage with 2 forks.

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Easy Roasted Garlicky Cabbage Steaks

Or make these Easy Roasted Cabbage Steaks with garlic for your cabbage side (and hello, cabbage is a must for a St. Patrick's Day meal). This post includes tips for getting the surfaces crispy, although this dish is delicious either way.

A platter of garlic roasted cabbage steaks, or thick slices. A little parsley is sprinkled on top.

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Colcannon

Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) is the perfect side dish for St. Patrick's Day. It combines family favorite ingredients of potatoes, cabbage, onions (or leeks), cream and butter into a massive comfort food. These are ingredients I often have, and am always so surprised at how amazing this combination is.

And yes, this dish can totally be made ahead and reheated.

A bowl of colcannon Irish mashed potatoes topped with melted butter, parsley and coarse black pepper.

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Vegetarian Cornish Pasties

These flaky Vegetarian Cornish Pasties are filled with creamy celery root, potatoes, leeks and pickled apples. They're a little more trouble, but I use a frozen pie dough to make mine. They're perfect for a warm appetizer or side dish.

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Old Fashioned Potato Gratin

Potatoes are required for any St. Patrick's Day table. One option can be this Old Fashioned Potato Gratin. If you have a hand-held mandoline for slicing the potatoes, this dish comes together pretty quickly, and the potatoes will cook evenly.

Classic creamy potato gratin fresh from the oven.

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Mashed Celery Root with Blue Cheese and Watercress

For a different twist on mashed potatoes, try this Mashed Celery Root recipe I created for The Food Network's blog. I swapped out potatoes for celery root, and added blue cheese and watercress.

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M A I N S

Vegetarian Irish Stew

This savory vegetarian Irish Stew is loaded with mushrooms, potatoes, carrots and celery, and a lighter beer than the traditional Guinness. I feel that Guinness beer can be a little bitter with a straight-up vegetable stew, but melds very well with meat. But feel free to use whatever beer you prefer.

I serve this with colcannon Irish mashed potatoes (shared above).

Top view of a vegetarian Irish stew of potatoes, cabbage, carrots and celery with mashed potatoes on the side in the same bowl.

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Cheesy Cauliflower Rarebit Slab Pie with a Rye Crust

This Cheesy Cauliflower Rarebit Slab Pie is from a cookbook I reviewed that a friend of mine wrote. And it is absolutely delicious, and perfect for a crowd. It's essentially a cheesy cauliflower casserole wrapped up in a slab pie with a rye crust. Make it ahead, and reheat for a party.

A slab pie in a sheet pan, filled with cauliflower Welsh rarebit, in a rye crust. A sprig of thyme is on top.

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Lentil Shepherd's Pie

This vegetarian lentil shepherd's pie replaces the traditional meat with legumes and keeps all the umami flavor of a meaty dish with caramelized onions and mushrooms.

Shepherd's pie made with lentils and topped with mashed potatoes with a serving spoon.

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Kale and Cauliflower Tart in a Cheddar Crust

This delicious Kale and Cauliflower Tart is packed with kale, caramelized onions, cauliflower and roasted tomatoes. It's all layered into a cheddar cheese crust.

A tart filled with kale, cauliflower and topped with tomatoes and cheese.

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D E S S E R T

Bailey's Chocolate Mousse

This easy Bailey's Mousse keeps it vegetarian by eliminating the gelatin, getting its lift only from whipped egg whites. This also makes it an incredibly easy dessert - especially if you melt the chocolate in the microwave oven like I do.

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Frozen Mudslide Boozy Dessert

This frozen mudslide recipe is easy to make with a couple scoops of ice cream and equal parts of Kahlua, Bailey's Irish Cream, and vodka. And it's a two-fer since it can be either a creamy cocktail or boozy dessert.

Glasses of Frozen Mudslides using chocolate and vanilla ice creams on a tray.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you and your family. I hope you find something in this collection of vegetarian Irish recipes for your table this year.